familypediawikiaorg-20200214-history
Samuel Stratton (1592-1692)
}} Research Notes 1908 Biographical Sketch (1908):361, v. 1, p. 157-158. "Samuel Stratton was born in England about 1592, and settled in Watertown, Mass., with wife Alice, as early, at least, as 1647. Before 1657 Alice died. The date of her death has not been learned. The last mention that has been found of her is November 9, 1649. June 27, 1657, Samuel married Margaret, daughter of Thomas Bowlins, and widow of William Parker of Scituate and Boston. They were married in Boston by Governor John Endicott. Margaret died, a widow, in Watertown, December 7, 1676, aged 81 years. Samuel Stratton owned real estate in Watertown and Concord — several lots, with mansion, barn, orchard, etc. His descendants are found today in almost every state in the Union. More than two thousand of them have been traced. In almost every case they are among the substantial citizens of the towns in which they dwell — many occupy positions of trust and honor." Biographical Sketch (1990):773 "Stratton seemed to have been a rather average settler, not occupying high positions in town or colony, and to have been of average Bay Colony means, since he fairly early purchased several pieces of real estate. His wife Alice died sometime after 9 Nov. 1649, and he married at Boston 27 June 1657 Margaret (Bowlins), widow of William Parker of Scituate, Mass. He named three sons in his will, and they may have been by wife Alice, but were not by wife Margaret. Presumably sons Samuel and John had come to Massachusetts with him; we know son Richard came later. Son Samuel married in 1651, John in 1658, and Richard before April 1658 (but probably after arrival in 1656). Other than estimated from their marriage years that Samuel and John were probably born in the 1620s or 1630s, we do not know how old they were. Richard died on 25 July 1658 'aged about 30 years,' and so we know he was born about 1628. Richard had one son before he died, and Samuel and John had many children, and through them the senior Samuel became the progenitor of at least tens of thousands of Americans today." 1648-1650 Charge of Witchcraft:361, v. 1, p. 156-157.,370, p. 119. "On the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, under date of May 13, 1648, is this enactment: 'The corte beinge desirous that the same course which has been taken in England for the discovering of witches, by watching, may also be taken here with the witch now in question & therefore doe order that a strict watch shall be set about her every night, & that her husband be confined to a private roome & watched also.' Felt, in his Ecclesiastical History of New England, says that this passage refers to Margaret Jones, wife of William Jones. She was executed as a witch June 15, 1648. This was probably the earliest execution in the region of Boston. William Jones was arraigned for the same crime, but escaped execution and 'petitioned to go to the Barbadoes.' He came to Cambridge from England in the Hercules in 1634. Now, it seems that Samuel and Alice Stratton were not of the strictest Puritanic stripe, but were generous and liberal in their thinking, and their treatment of those who differed from them, and were among the few who cherished a leniency toward the so-called 'witches.' From the old, half-effaced court papers of that period we find that 'Samuel Stratton said that Jones's wife Died wrongfully, and was no witch and that the majistrates would doe anything for bribes, and the members also.' And that 'Ales Stratton said that Goodwife Jones dyed wrongfully and was no more a witch than she was.' Hugh Clarke of Watertown and Roxbury, Mr. Pemberton and wife Eleanor, and Samuel Durkin were of the same opinion. But these people had to pay for this 'independence of thought.' At the county court held at Cambridge, October 30, 1649, it was ordered that 'Samuel Stratton, senior, and his wife should appear before the publique assembly at Watertown the next lecture Day to pay a fine of £5 and acknowledge their offense committed against ye commonwealth & court, and acknowledge ye justice & leniency of the court in dealing so mercifully with them.' And in case they refused to make full acknowledgment they were to pay another fine of £5 more. The original paper containing this order is thus inscribed: 'The partyes did acknowledge ye mercy of the magistrates sentence herein incerted ———? dealt with them but of the charges laid upon them they are of the same mind.' At the court at Cambridge April 2, 1650: 'Goodman Stratton refusing to make full acknowledgment enjoyned by the court, is enjoyned to pay five pounds he is granted liberty for payment of ye same until the next 8th mo.' No mention is made of Alice. And so it seems that Samuel Stratton incurred the displeasure of the court and magistrates, and paid the fine for the privilege of remaining 'of the same mind.' Like other Watertown men he had 'strong convictions and the courage to maintain them."